Sand wars start again

KEN RAYWARD

Save Our Sands (SOS)

25 July, 2022

Wednesday July 27 sees the start of the Commissioners hearing to consider the near-shore and mid-shore sand mining consent applications for McCallum Bros.

The hearing is to be heard across three venues – the Warkworth Town Hall, Pakiri Marae and Pakiri Hall, lasting for eight days.

Every impacting element on our Mangawhai to Pakiri coastline will come under examination in a debate that is based squarely on ‘Commercial Gain versus the Environment’.

McCallum Bros claim the Auckland construction sector would be impacted if the sand supply used to make concrete was stopped. The respected groups opposing the granting of the consents certainly don’t want any such impacts to occur, and believe there are other supply options available that provide sustainable, technically suitable, and market competitive sand supplies, ensuring there is no supply risk to construction growth.

The opposing groups all have the coastal environment as their concern, which includes coastal processes, with the current fragile state of our coast showing clearly the damage that is done when sand is removed – the threat to our already endangered bird and marine life, fairy terns and mussel beds, the impact of global warming and increased storm activity, and lack of recognition of cultural matters relating to these concerns.

The fact that McCallum Bros have requested consents for an extraordinary 35 years shows they have no concerns for the health and wellness of our treasured coastline.

The Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society are taking a leading role in opposing the consent applications, not just from an environmental perspective but by directly challenging the claims by McCallum that there are no suitable alternative supply options available. The Commissioners will be provided with a broad spectrum of evidence that will show the McCallum’s claims are not based on fact.

As with the first far shore hearing, which was refused, the Commissioners will need to use a precautionary concern when considering the irreversible impacts on the environment that sand mining is causing. This required approach should ensure these two new consents are also refused.

Making some noise to protect the local coastline at a recent Mangawhai sand mining protest, Kaipara District mayor Jason Smith says council are ‘absolutely aware what is at stake’.